samantha's adventures: Flores::: Rinca & Komodo National Park

Komodo National Park is just off the west coast of Flores it occupies a few islands, mainly Komodo & Rinca..the only place in the world where the fierce Komodo dragon is found. We met up with some crazy travellers whom we shared a boat and a few stories with- and headed off on the 2 hour journey to an island filled with man eating dragons.

a picture of joe..... or if you look a little closer it is appears to be our captian stretching in his underwear!!!

views of some of the many islands we saw on the way. it had been raining in Flores, an aftermath of the Australian tsunami, and the water was very dark in most areas.

..and quite rough as well...

this island looks like a whale...and its left side looks like a profile of a witch..

komodo national park and an odd poster of the dragons fighting and mating?!?

these are the weapons the guides use against the dragons. very reassuring.

at the base camp we found 5 dragons including a rather large male that was probably
close to 50 years old. Komodo dragons are very fierce animals, much like alligators or crocodiles, however they are actually still considered large lizards or monitors. there mouths contain poinsonous bacteria and they are able to kill giant water buffalo. they are cannibalistic so the young dragons must stay in trees until they are five years old and able to protect themselves.

do they eat people? you ask....

yes they do--only one tourist has been eaten so far though--all they found was his hair.

one was enough for me however, and after I saw the large group of them coming towards me with the guide screaming " back, back, look out!!!" and starting running with his stick- i decided to skip the 3 mile nature walk and hang out in the camp.